One Flew Over The Parrot's Nest

Parrots in flight - free on their own

There is something surreal when birding in a wildlife preserve that holds specimens of native wildlife in cages while the birds fly freely overhead. These two pictures of Leopardus geoffroyi - a Geoffroy's Cat - capture the life-behind-bars of this native cat to lower South America. My hosts were kind to provide me the opportunity to see wildlife native to Argentina, while at the same time, I could view many native birds as well - free of the confines of the cages below them. For me, it was great to see entire flocks of parrots fly through the preserve - what motivated them to flock, I don't know.
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Leopardus geoffroyi is primarily nocturnal, but has been seen hunting at dawn and dusk. It likes water, and is an avid swimmer. Secretive and solitary, it spends much of its time in the trees. These cats have been known to sleep and mate in the trees. They are quite agile, and have even been known to walk on the underside of a branch. Males and

Leopardus geoffroyi

females do not interact much, other than to mate. Females home ranges are about 2.5 square km. Males territories may be as much as three times the size of females. Female ranges may overlap each other, as well as males ranges. Although male ranges may overlap the females ranges, they do not overlap other males. They have a density of about 1.2 individuals per ten square km. Most people are not scared of this small cat, but should be, because it is very aggressive, and has never been truly domesticated. Geoffroy's Cat  is probably the most common wild cat in South America. It is about the size of a domestic cat. Its fur has black spots, but the background color varies from region to region; in the north, a brownish yellow coat is most common. Farther south, its coat are grayish. Melanism is quite common both in the wild and in captivity.

Geoffroy's Cat primarily preys on rodents, small lizards, insects, and occasionally frogs and fish; it is at the top of the food chain. Although it appears to be plentiful, some conservationists are concerned because Geoffroy's Cat is hunted extensively for its pelt. Geoffroy's Cat weighs

Geoffroy's Cat

only about 4-8 pounds and has a long tail and long legs. There have been attempts to breed this cat with domestic cats, but with very little success. Pregnant females appear to take extra care in choosing where they give birth to their kittens. Geoffroy's Cat kittens develop very quickly and at about 6 weeks they are fully mobile. The species inhabits the Andes, Pampas (scrubby forest parts), and Gran Chaco landscape. This cat is named after the 19th century French zoologist Etienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire who identified it as a different species when he studied his work as a professor of zoology in Paris, France. (1)
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(1) Taken from the Website http://www.carnivoraforum.com/index.cgi?board=feline&action=print&thread=913